CAN TECH SAVE US FROM CLIMATE CHANGE?
The one thing we need to save us from climate catastrophe is the one thing technology can’t provide — time
If we’re to mitigate the effects of climate change, we need to curb carbon emissions now using existing technology
DR JONATHAN FOLEY
Jonathan is a renowned environmental scientist, sustainability expert and the director of Project Drawdown, the world’s leading resource for climate solutions. Drawdown.org As a kid, I was hooked on science fiction TV shows: Star Trek, Doctor Who and more. My inner nerd loved these incredible stories. They usually followed a standard plot. A terrible crisis would unfold, threatening almost certain doom, until – in the last few minutes – a hero unveiled a technological wonder that instantly solved the problem. Whether it was Scotty working his miracles on the USS Enterprise or the Doctor using his sonic screwdriver, we were sure of one thing: technology would save the day.
I loved those stories when I was a kid. Part of me still does. And I honestly wish that some new technological marvel could save us now by averting the planetary crisis of climate change. I’d love to see a hero swoop in, set their phasers to decarbonise and zap away our greenhouse gases.